The defeat marked the end of an extraordinary partnership that has rewritten the record books for women’s badminton. Since pairing up in 2014, Chen/Jia have accumulated four World Championship titles (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023), Olympic gold in Paris, silver in Tokyo 2020, two Asian Championship golds and 19 HSBC BWF World Tour titles. They also hold the Guinness World Record for the most World Championships women’s doubles titles by the same pair.
Their reunion of three recent tournaments; Korea Masters, Denmark Open and French Open represented a fitting curtain call. The pair had split after the Paris Olympics to help other players gain experience and exposure, a decision that has yielded mixed results. Jia has flourished with Zhang Shu Xian, claiming the LI-NING China Masters title, while Chen has struggled to replicate that magic with partners Wang Ting Ge and Keng Shu Liang.
“I don’t know how to answer that question. There are so many memories,” said Chen when asked about what she would remember most about their partnership. “To be able to return to a high level and reach back-to-back semifinals, I think we are really satisfied.”
Back together one last time, they reached the semifinals in consecutive tournaments. Showcasing the chemistry forged over more than a decade of dominance.
Jia said: “This is not the result we wanted and we’re not thinking about the result. We wanted to do our best for our last dance. I’m very happy when I step onto court with Chen. It feels like ‘old times’.”
On completing their journey together in Rennes, Jia smiled: “Playing my career with Chen, it’s been perfect. We have won almost everything together. I still have a long playing career ahead of me. I want to give my best every day.”
Chen, meanwhile promised continued support: “After I stop playing, I will travel to tournaments to watch Jia and cheer her on. I’ll be the one saying ‘let’s go’ in the crowd.”
Though their international chapter has closed, expect them to surface on China’s national circuit. Perfect partnerships rarely disappear entirely.
